L - Laborless

L.
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L (ĕl) n. 1. L is the twelfth letter of the English alphabet, and a vocal consonant. It is usually called a semivowel or liquid. Its form and value are from the Greek, through the Latin, the form of the Greek letter being from the Phœnician, and the ultimate origin prob. Egyptian. Etymologically, it is most closely related to r and u; as in pilgrim, peregrine, couch (fr. collocare), aubura (fr. LL. alburnus).
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At the end of monosyllables containing a single vowel, it is often doubled, as in fall, full, bell; but not after digraphs, as in foul, fool, prowl, growl, foal. In English words, the terminating syllable le is unaccented, the e is silent, and l is preceded by a voice glide, as in able, eagle, pronounced āb'l, ēg'l. See Guide to Pronunciation, §241.
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2. As a numeral, L stands for fifty in the English, as in the Latin language.
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For 50 the Romans used the Chalcidian chi, �, which assumed the less difficult lapidary type, �, and was then easily assimilated to L. I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
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L (ĕl), n. 1. An extension at right angles to the length of a main building, giving to the ground plan a form resembling the letter L; sometimes less properly applied to a narrower, or lower, extension in the direction of the length of the main building; a wing. [Written also ell.]
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2. (Mech.) A short right-angled pipe fitting, used in connecting two pipes at right angles. [Written also ell.]
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L, a. 1. Having the general shape of the (capital) letter L; as, an L beam, or L-beam.
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2. Elevated; -- a symbol for el. as an abbreviation of elevated in elevated road or railroad. -- n. An elevated road; as, to ride on the L. [Colloq., U. S.]
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La (lä), n. (Mus.) (a) A syllable applied to the sixth tone of the scale in music in solmization. (b) The tone A; -- so called among the French and Italians.
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La (?), interj. [Cf. .] 1. Look; see; behold; -- sometimes followed by you. [Obs.] Shak.
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2. An exclamation of surprise; -- commonly followed by me; as, La me! [Low]
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laager (l�gẽr or lägẽr), n. [D., also leger. Cf. 2d , .] A camp, especially one surrounded by a circular formation of travelers' wagons for temporary defense. [South Africa]
Syn. -- lager.
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Wagons . . . can be readily formed into a laager, a camp, by being drawn into a circle, with the oxen placed inside and so kept safe from the attacks of wild beasts. James Bryce.
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Laager, v. t. & i. [From , n.] To form into, or camp in, a laager, or protected camp.
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Laas (?), n. A lace. See . [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Lab (?), v. i. [Cf. OD. labben to babble.] To prate; to gossip; to babble; to blab. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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lab, n. 1. A telltale; a prater; a blabber. [Obs.] “I am no lab.” Chaucer.
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2. [By truncation of laboratory.] Laboratory. [Colloq.]
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lab, a. Of or pertaining to a laboratory; as, a lab bench. [Colloq.]
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Labadist, n. (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of Jean de Labadie, a religious teacher of the 17th century, who left the Roman Catholic Church and taught a kind of mysticism, and the obligation of community of property among Christians.
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Labarraque's solution (?) n. [From Labarraque, a Parisian apothecary.] (Med.) An aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite, extensively used as a disinfectant.
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Sodium hypochlorite is the same compound used in the commercial trademarked bleach Clorox(TM). It has both disinfectant and bleaching activity.
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Labarum (�), n.; pl. Labara (#). [L.] The standard adopted by the Emperor Constantine after his conversion to Christianity. It is described as a pike bearing a silk banner hanging from a crosspiece, and surmounted by a golden crown. It bore a monogram of the first two letters (ΧΡ) (which appear like the English letters X and P), of the name of Christ in its Greek form. Later, the name was given to various modifications of this standard.
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Labdanum (?), n. (Bot.) See .
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Labefaction (?), n. [See .] The act of labefying or making weak; the state of being weakened; decay; ruin.
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There is in it such a labefaction of all principles as may be injurious to morality. Johnson.
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Labefy (?), v. t. [L. labefacere; labare to totter + facere to make.] To weaken or impair. [R.]
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Label (lābĕl), n. [OF. label sort of ribbon or fringe, label in heraldry, F. lambeau shred, strip, rag; of uncertain origin; cf. L. labellum, dim. of labrum lip, edge, margin, G. lappen flap, patch, rag, tatter (cf. of a dress), W. llab, llabed, label, flap, Gael. leab, leob, slice, shred, hanging lip.] 1. A tassel. [Obs.] Huloet. Fuller.
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2. A slip of silk, paper, parchment, etc., affixed to anything, and indicating, usually by an inscription, the contents, ownership, destination, etc.; as, the label of a bottle or a package.
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3. A slip of ribbon, parchment, etc., attached to a document to hold the appended seal; also, the seal.
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4. A writing annexed by way of addition, as a codicil added to a will.
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5. (Her.) A barrulet, or, rarely, a bendlet, with pendants, or points, usually three, especially used as a mark of cadency to distinguish an eldest or only son while his father is still living.
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6. A brass rule with sights, formerly used, in connection with a circumferentor, to take altitudes. Knight.
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7. (Gothic Arch.) The name now generally given to the projecting molding by the sides, and over the tops, of openings in mediæval architecture. It always has a square form, as in the illustration. Arch. Pub. Soc.
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8. In mediæval art, the representation of a band or scroll containing an inscription. Fairholt.
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Label, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Labeled (lābĕld) or Labelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Labeling or Labelling.] 1. To affix a label to; to mark with a name, etc.; as, to label a bottle or a package.
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2. To affix in or on a label. [R.]
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Labeler (lābĕlẽr), n. One who labels. [Written also labeller.]
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Labellum (lȧbĕllŭm), n.; pl. L. Labella (lȧbĕllȧ), E. Labellums (lȧbĕllŭmz). [L., dim. of labrum lip.] 1. (Bot.) The lower or apparently anterior petal of an orchidaceous flower, often of a very curious shape.
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2. (Zoöl.) A small appendage beneath the upper lip or labrum of certain insects.
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Labent (?), a. [L. labens, p. pr. of labi to slide, glide.] Slipping; sliding; gliding. [R.]
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Labia (?), n. pl. See .
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Labial (?), a. [LL. labialis, fr. L. labium lip: cf. F. labial. See .] 1. Of or pertaining to the lips or labia; as, labial veins.
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2. (Mus.) Furnished with lips; as, a labial organ pipe.
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3. (Phonetics) (a) Articulated, as a consonant, mainly by the lips, as b, p, m, w. (b) Modified, as a vowel, by contraction of the lip opening, as � (f�d), ō (ōld), etc., and as eu and u in French, and ö, ü in German. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 11, 178.
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4. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the labium; as, the labial palpi of insects. See .
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Labial, n. 1. (Phonetics) A letter or character representing an articulation or sound formed or uttered chiefly with the lips, as b, p, w.
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2. (Mus.) An organ pipe that is furnished with lips; a flue pipe.
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3. (Zoöl.) One of the scales which border the mouth of a fish or reptile.
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Labialism (?), n. (Phonetics) The quality of being labial; as, the labialism of an articulation; conversion into a labial, as of a sound which is different in another language. J. Peile.
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Labialization (?), n. (Phonetics) The modification of an articulation by contraction of the lip opening.
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Labialize (?), v. t. (Phonetics) To modify by contraction of the lip opening.
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Labially, adv. In a labial manner; with, or by means of, the lips.
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Labiate (?), v. t. To labialize. Brewer.
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Labiate (?), a. [NL. labiatus, fr. L. labium lip.] (Bot.) (a) Having the limb of a tubular corolla or calyx divided into two unequal parts, one projecting over the other like the lips of a mouth, as in the snapdragon, sage, and catnip. (b) Belonging to a natural order of plants (Labiatæ), of which the mint, sage, and catnip are examples. They are mostly aromatic herbs.
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Labiate, n. (Bot.) A plant of the order Labiatæ.
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Labiated (?), a. (Bot.) Same as , a. (a).
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{ Labiatifloral (?), Labiatifloral (?), } a. [Labiate + L. flos, floris, flower.] (Bot.) Having labiate flowers, as the snapdragon.
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Labidometer (?), n. [Gr. labis, -idos, a forceps + meter: cf. F. labidometre.] (Med.) A forceps with a measuring attachment for ascertaining the size of the fetal head.
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Labile (?), a. [L. labilis apt to slip, fr. labi to slip.] 1. Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize. [Obs.] Cheyne.
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2. Liable or likely to change.
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3. (Chem.) Easily decomposed or inactivated when subjected to heat, radiation, or mildly acidic or alkaline conditions; -- of chemical compounds; as, enzymes from thermophilic organisms are not as labile as those from mesophiles.
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Lability (?), n. 1. Liability to lapse, err, or apostatize. [Archaic] Coleridge.
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2. The property of changing readily.
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3. (Chem.) The property of being labile{3}; -- of chemical compounds; as, the lability of some natural products makes them difficult to isolate and identify.
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Labimeter (?), n. [Cf. F. labimetre.] (Med.) See .
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Labiodental (?), a. [Labium + dental.] (Phonetics) Formed or pronounced by the cooperation of the lips and teeth, as f and v. -- n. A labiodental sound or letter.
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Labionasal (?), a. [Labium + nasal.] (Phonetics) Formed by the lips and the nose. -- n. A labionasal sound or letter.
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Labioplasty (lābĭ�plăst�), n. [Labium + -plasty.] (Surg.) A plastic operation for making a new lip, or for replacing a lost tissue of a lip.
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Labiose (?), a. [From .] (Bot.) Having the appearance of being labiate; -- said of certain polypetalous corollas.
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Labipalp (?), n. (Zoöl.) A labial palp.
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Labipalpus (?), n.; pl. Labipalpi (�). [NL. See , and .] (Zoöl.) One of the labial palpi of an insect. See Illust. under .
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Labium (?), n.; pl. L. Labia (#), E. Labiums (#). [L.] 1. A lip, or liplike organ.
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2. The lip of an organ pipe.
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3. pl. (Anat.) The folds of integument at the opening of the vulva.
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4. (Zoöl.) (a) The organ of insects which covers the mouth beneath, and serves as an under lip. It consists of the second pair of maxillæ, usually closely united in the middle line, but bearing a pair of palpi in most insects. It often consists of a thin anterior part (ligula or palpiger) and a firmer posterior plate (mentum). (b) Inner margin of the aperture of a shell.
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Lablab (lăblăb), n. (Bot.) an East Indian name for several twining leguminous plants related to the bean, but commonly applied to the hyacinth bean (Dolichos Lablab).
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Labor (lābẽr), n. [OE. labour, OF. labour, laber, labur, F. labeur, L. labor; cf. Gr. lambanein to take, Skr. labh to get, seize.] [Written also labour.] 1. Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive exercise; hard, muscular effort directed to some useful end, as agriculture, manufactures, and like; servile toil; exertion; work.
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God hath set
Labor and rest, as day and night, to men
Successive. Milton.
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2. Intellectual exertion; mental effort; as, the labor of compiling a history.
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3. That which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort.
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Being a labor of so great a difficulty, the exact performance thereof we may rather wish than look for. Hooker.
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4. Travail; the pangs and efforts of childbirth.
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The queen's in labor,
They say, in great extremity; and feared
She'll with the labor end. Shak.
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5. Any pang or distress. Shak.
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6. (Naut.) The pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging.
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7. [Sp.] A measure of land in Mexico and Texas, equivalent to an area of 1771/7 acres. Bartlett.

8. (Mining.) A stope or set of stopes. [Sp. Amer.]
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Syn. -- Work; toil; drudgery; task; exertion; effort; industry; painstaking. See .
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Labor, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Labored (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Laboring.] [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See , n.] [Written also labour.] 1. To exert muscular strength; to exert one's strength with painful effort, particularly in servile occupations; to work; to toil.
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Adam, well may we labor still to dress
This garden. Milton.
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2. To exert one's powers of mind in the prosecution of any design; to strive; to take pains.
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3. To be oppressed with difficulties or disease; to do one's work under conditions which make it especially hard, wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a burden; to be burdened; -- often with under, and formerly with of.
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The stone that labors up the hill. Granville.
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The line too labors, and the words move slow. Pope.
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To cure the disorder under which he labored. Sir W. Scott.
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Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. xi. 28
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4. To be in travail; to suffer the pangs of childbirth; to be in labor.
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5. (Naut.) To pitch or roll heavily, as a ship in a turbulent sea. Totten.
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Labor, v. t. [F. labourer, L. laborare.] 1. To work at; to work; to till; to cultivate by toil.
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The most excellent lands are lying fallow, or only labored by children. W. Tooke.
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2. To form or fabricate with toil, exertion, or care. “To labor arms for Troy.” Dryden.
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3. To prosecute, or perfect, with effort; to urge strenuously; as, to labor a point or argument.
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4. To belabor; to beat. [Obs.] Dryden.
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Laborant (?), n. [L. laborans, p. pr. of laborare to labor.] A chemist. [Obs.] Boyle.
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Laboratory (?), n.; pl. Laboratories (#). [Shortened fr. elaboratory; cf. OF. elaboratoire, F. laboratoire. See , ] [Formerly written also elaboratory.] 1. The workroom of a chemist; also, a place devoted to experiments in any branch of natural science; as, a chemical, physical, or biological laboratory. Hence, by extension, a place where something is prepared, or some operation is performed; as, the liver is the laboratory of the bile.
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2. Hence: Any place, activity or situation suggestive of a scientific laboratory{1}, especially in being conducive to learning new facts by experimentation or by systematic observation; as, the states serve as laboratories where different new policies may be tested prior to adoption throughout the country.
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Labor Day. In most of the States and Territories of the United States, a day, usually the first Monday of September, set aside as a legal holiday, in honor of, or in the interest of, workingmen as a class. Also, a similar holiday in Canada, Australia, etc.
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Labored (?), a. 1. Bearing marks of labor and effort; elaborately wrought; not easy or natural; as, labored poetry; a labored style.
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2. appearing to require strong effort; as, labored breathing.
Syn. -- heavy, laboured.
[WordNet 1.5]

Laboredly, adv. In a labored manner; with labor.
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Laborer (?), n. [Written also labourer.] One who labors in a toilsome occupation; a person who does work that requires strength rather than skill, as distinguished from that of an artisan.
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Laboring, a. 1. That labors; performing labor; esp., performing coarse, heavy work, not requiring skill also, set apart for labor; as, laboring days.
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The sleep of a laboring man is sweet. Eccl. v. 12.
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2. Suffering pain or grief. Pope.
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Coloq. Laboring oar , the oar which requires most strength and exertion; often used figuratively; as, to have, or pull, the laboring oar in some difficult undertaking.
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Laborious (?), a. [L. laboriosus, fr. labor labor: cf. F. laborieux.] 1. Requiring labor, perseverance, or sacrifices; toilsome; tiresome.
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Dost thou love watchings, abstinence, or toil,
Laborious virtues all? Learn these from Cato. Addison.
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2. Devoted to labor; diligent; industrious; as, a laborious mechanic.
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-- Laboriously, adv. -- Laboriousness, n.
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Laborless (lābẽrlĕs), a. Not involving labor; not laborious; easy.
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